March 2, 2011 10:00 a.m. Weather -3 degrees and sky is a beautiful blue, with long whisps of thin white cloud.  I focused on a small section today, a slope that moves directly into the wetlands pond…a section that edges on the highschool.  This is the precise area where two loons nested last spring.  In fact, I feel some urgency to make inroads on this project before the birds return for the summer.

We make our mark.

Today I worked exclusively on picking up Tim Hortons and Wendys cups, with plastic lids.  Some unusual finds were teacher’s schedules, more burned text book pages and countless sandwich bags.  I failed to mention that yesterday among my finds were a set of structural blue prints for the sports center that is nearing the end of construction. 

Focus on discarded cups.

I’m beginning to think that I am going to lose a connection with people over this project.  I met John, a photographer, while edging the pond and he snapped a photo of Max and I. 

John's Photo

I got the sense that he could hardly wait to get away from me.  Is there an actual aversion in society to people who act directly on issues around the environment?  Are those people typically the prisoners and and homeless?  The mentally ill?  I try to talk to the witnesses to this project about the “One- bag-at-a-time-concept“….but perhaps it just seems weird?  One construction worker preferred to talk about his fear of dogs, rather than why I was archiving the journey…or what the journey is about.  That’s why Max is along!

Day 4: An entire bag filled with discarded Tims and Wendys cups...and nothing much changed at the bins.

Ironic that as I sat at a red light, approaching 22X, I should see on the side of the highway?….yet another Tim Horton’s cup!

Writing is a struggle against silence. Carlos Fuentes